Railway-switch.



rrnn STAT-Es Pn'rsr Ormea GEORGE II. FAlRCI-IILD, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MARKET STREET RAILIVAY COMPANY, OF SAMEPLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,099, datedSeptember 4, 1900. Application led June 22, 1900. Serial No. 21,133. (Nomodel.)

fo @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. FAIRCHILD, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches;and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

My invention relates to railway-switches, and especially to doubleswitches for threeway tracks.

It consists in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination ofthe tracks, the switch-tongues, and the mates, which I shall hereinafterfully describe, together with the objects of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the figure is a plan of myswitch.

A is the main or straight track, B is the rightbranch track, and C isthe left branch track. The two branches spring from the main or straighttrack at or very near the same line, and their curves or inclines areuniform, whereby the frogs a, b, and c, where the outer rails of the twobranch tracks cross each other and where these cross the main orstraight track, are relatively located to the best advantage both forpaving and for the use of connection-rails suiiiciently long for properhandling and secure joints. The uniform or appronimately-uniforminclines or curves of the branches throw the frog ci at or near themiddle between the rails of the straight track, thereby leaving enoughspace on each side for proper paving, and as the curves of the branchesneed not be compounded to suit the street room or space available theycan be made sufficiently long to throw the frogs far enough away fromthe switch tongues and mates to enable connecu tion-rails of desirablelength to be used.

D is the switch-casting. This is made wide enough to carry twoswitch-tongues. One of these, E, with its heel-piece e., is let into theoutside rail of the right branch track, and the other, F, is let intothe inside rail of the left branch track by its heel-piece f. The twoswitch-tongues are placed side by side and occupy correspondingpositions with relation to their distance from the line from which thetwo branches spring. If the branches spring from the same line, thetongues will lie between the same vertical planes. branches spring fromnearly the same line, as I have here shown, the tongues willcorrespondingly slightly overlap in their length.

G is the switch-mate, having a construction to supplement the functionsof the switchcasting and its tongues. It has a cast-iron separator g,with steel point II, anda forgedsteel filling-piece and riser I.

It is usual in double switches for three-way tracks to locate theswitch-tongue and mate of one branch considerably in advance of thetongue and mate of the other branch, the switch-tongues being inopposite sides of the two branches, and said branches spring fromconsiderably-dilferent points or lines in order to provide room for thetongues and mates. This want ot' uniformity in the curves of thebranches renders it necessary in many situations to compound the curve,and it also throws the frogs into such unequal relative positions thatpaving is difficult, and such short lengths of connection-rails must beused that they cannot be handled and secured satisfactorily; but withthe construction I show of uniform or approximately-uniform branches andthe juxtaposition of the switchtongues with correspondingly-locatedmates these disadvantages are overcome, as I have heretofore stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A double switch for three-way. tracks, consisting Vof a main orstraight track, branch tracks springing from the same, or approximatelythe same, line, independent switchtongues, one for each branch, lying injuxtaposition between the same, or approximately the same, verticalplanes, and a suitable and correspondingly-located mate in the otherside of said branches.

2. A double switch for three-way tracks,

If the y consisting of a main or straight track, branch tracks springingfrom the same, or approximately the same, line, and having uniformcurves on opposite sides of the main or straight track, independentswitch-tongues, one for each branch, lying in juxtaposition between thesame or approximately the same,

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Vertical planes, and a suitable and correspondingly-located mate in theother side of said branches.

3. A double switch for three-Way tracks, consisting of a main orstraight track, branch tracks therefrom, independent switchtongues, onetongue being in the outside rail of one branch and the other tongue inthe inside rail of the other branch, and a suitable mate in the otherside of said branches.

4. A double switch for three-way tracks, consisting of a main orstraight track, branch tracks springing from the sanne, or approximatelythe same, line, independent switchtongues, one tongue being in theoutside rail of one branch and the other tongue in the inside ral ot theother branch, said tongues lying in juxtaposition between the same, orapproximately the same, Vertical planes, and a suitable andcorrespondingly-located mate in the other side of said branches.

5. A double switch for three-Way tracks, consisting of a main O1`straight track, branch tracks springing from the same, or approximatelythe same, line, and having uniform curves on opposite sides of the mainor straight track, independent switch-tongues, one tongue being in theoutside rail ot' one branch and the other tongue in the inside rail ofthe other branch, said tongues lying in juxtaposition between the saine,or approximately the same, vertical planes, and a suitable andcorrespondinglylocated mate in the other side of said branches.

6. A double switch for three-Way tracks, consisting of a main orstraight track, branch tracks springing from the same, or approximatelythe same, line, a switch-casting carrying independent sWitch-tongues,onetongue for each branch, said tongues lying in juxtaposition between thesaine, or approximately the same, vertical planes, and a suitable andcorrespondingly-located mate in the other side of the branches. l

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

- GEORGE H. FAIRCHILD.

Witnesses:

GEORGE B. WILLCUTT, J. R. SLoAN.

